My Story
I was born and raised on Long Island, New York. The New York metropolitan area is very cosmopolitan; people from every nation, religion, and race live there. I've met people who have traveled and lived in various regions of the world. My response to them is, "I haven't traveled the world, but growing up in New York, I feel that the world came to me!" Being raised in a culturally diverse area shaped my worldview and has given me an appreciation of people's diverse views and backgrounds.
When I was twenty, I moved to Rockford, where my aunt and uncle lived. Shortly after arriving in Rockford, I met my wife, Connie. My wife is my best friend; we'll be married for forty-five years this year. We have two grown children, Jessica and Lucas, and four wonderful grandkids. I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren. It's their mother and father's job to raise and discipline them. My job is to feed them when they're with me (they love my scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches), enjoy the time I spend with them, and eventually give them back to their mom and dad to raise them!
In 1986, I joined the United States Air Force. I graduated from electronics school in Aurora, Colorado, and was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. There, I repaired and calibrated test equipment on F-15 fighter jets. One of my hobbies is studying history, and while I was stationed there, I visited many historical sights and met interesting people. After my discharge from the USAF, I moved back to the Rockford area.
The older I become, the more I appreciate the generations that come after me. I recently worked with the college students at City First Leadership College. I enjoyed being a "grandpa" to them, giving them a word of encouragement when needed, a little wisdom when requested, and hugging them and slipping them some money whenever I could. I am grateful that God led me to serve at Rock House Kids. We are a Christian light in downtown Rockford, caring for our youth’s physical hunger needs and nourishing their souls with the good news of Jesus Christ.
I have a full-time job and work part-time for RHK in the evenings and weekends. I enjoy the evenings when I finish my workday at RHK, and then I spend time with our volunteers and the youth in our evening programs. Many in our youth program do not attend a church, so Rock House Kids is where they see Christianity in action. Centuries ago, Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel at all times. Whenever necessary, use words." I've practiced this philosophy for 45 years in my walk with Christ and feel that Rock House Kids puts this into practice daily. I go home physically tired these evenings but spiritually enriched beyond measure; the generosity of our local community always amazes me!
I look forward to seeing what God has planned for us this year!